Running head: EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS OF IMMIGRANT WOMEN. Graduate Project Letter of Intent:

Transcription

1 Letter of Intent 1 Running head: EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS OF IMMIGRANT WOMEN Graduate Project Letter of Intent: Employment Barriers: Preparing Immigrant Women for the Canadian Workforce Tammy Roy Campus Alberta Applied Psychology In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Masters Degree Supervisor: Dr. Roberta Neault

2 Letter of Intent 2 This letter of intent proposes a study involving the development of a website dedicated to inform pre-immigrant women of the realities of finding employment in Canada. The rational and implications of the study outline the needs for this project. Overview Problem Statement Several immigrant women are arriving in Canada only to discover that their expectations for gainful Canadian employment were in fact unrealistic. Often they are disappointed to find that obtaining a career in Canada, which is congruent with their educational background is more difficult than they had originally anticipated. The focus of this project is to gain an understanding of the most beneficial information to provide immigrant women, prior to their immigration to Canada, in order to assist them in obtaining gainful employment. This information will be presented in a clear, reader friendly format on a website that is easily assessable to pre-immigrant women. Rationale The final outcome of this Campus Alberta Applied Psychology (CAAP) project is to create an informative website for pre-immigrant women geared towards their successful integration into the Canadian workforce. In the year 2004 approximately 235, 000 immigrants came to Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2005), and the government hopes that this number continues to increase. The point system that is being utilized presently allows highly skilled workers into Canada with the hopes that these professionals will contribute to the economic success of our country. Unfortunately according to research conducted by statistics Canada in 2002 only 33% of immigrants

3 Letter of Intent 3 found a job in their intended occupation during their first year in Canada, and another 9% did so during their second year (Statistics Canada, 2005). These results suggest that the Canadian economy has yet to capitalize on valuable resources that would enhance our nation s prosperity. Women are of special concern, as they seem to be presented with more barriers, whether personal or professional, than their male counterparts (Dion & Dion, 2001). Many immigrant women come to Canada with expectations that do not correspond with the realities of finding Canadian employment. These women expect that they will immediately find gainful employment allowing them to utilize their training, and are disappointed when they realize this is not usually the case (Edmonton Social Planning Council [ESPC], 2000). Soon after settling into their new country they are informed that their foreign credentials are not valid here, and their work experience not respected (Neault, 2004). If immigrants are better informed about the realities of employment in Canada, they can then be better prepared. With accurate information prior to immigration they could ensure that their education is valid in Canada, begin creating a business network in Canada, research the job market, learn effective job search techniques, and evaluate how their particular skills fit into the Canadian job market. A website format has been selected as it is cost effective and easily assessable to pre-immigrant women. Ongoing maintenance and literature updates also become possible with a website format. In short, the rationale for manufacturing a web site to inform pre-immigrant women of the realities of finding suitable employment in Canada is to better prepare them

4 Letter of Intent 4 for the challenges in order to ensure their personal success, as well as the success of the Canadian economy. Supporting Literature Many women who have recently immigrated to Canada report that they were misinformed about the employment realities prior to their immigration and wish that they had received more accurate information (ESPC, 2000). These same women had actively searched for information regarding employment prior to their immigration through means such as the Internet, overseas immigration officers, and family and friends who were already living in Canada (Judd, 2005). Whether or not the ambiguous information was an issue of clarity or an issue of ignorance, the result of this misleading information was that several immigrant women were forced to take undesirable jobs in order to survive in their new country. Research shows that the top three barriers to successful employment of the immigrant population are lack of Canadian work experience, unrecognizable credentials, and the most significant barrier being language skills (Lee, 1996; Calgary Immigrant Women s Association, 2005). A study conducted by Rosanna Yip, in association with the Calgary Immigrant Women s Association (2005), interviewed 50 immigrant women with the intent of gaining information about their employment situations in order to help better link professional immigrant women with the corporate culture. Their study reveled that other potential barriers to employment include, poor business networks, culture shock, social discrimination, self-doubt, financial strain, and competing family priorities. The study further revealed that 96% of the sample population received no pre-employment information (2005). Yip recommends that access to websites should be increased for pre-

5 Letter of Intent 5 immigrant women with information pertaining to employment opportunities and challenges in Canada. The lack of opportunity for these women to utilize their skills is detrimental to both the women and the Canadian economy. On account of low birthrates, an aging population, and global competition, Canada is relying on immigrants for labour supply (Harvey, Reil, Siu, Blakely & DiTomaso, 2001). The problem with relying on immigrants to fill skilled positions is that most often they are barred from these positions and forced into underemployment. Recent studies have shown that poverty levels of recent immigrants are much higher than the rest of the population, (Ryan 2004; Statistics Canada, 2005). In fact, these poverty rates seem to be increasing instead of decreasing (Reitz, 2001). Although studies have shown that the longer an immigrant stays in Canada, the more money they make. Hum and Simpson (2000) reported that the economic assimilation process is longer for immigrants, especially women. Financial instability is not the only area of suffering for immigrant women; they also report feeling a loss of identity, energy, socio-economic standing, and self-esteem as a result of their lost career (Judd, 2004). These experiences are in addition to the feelings of depression that most immigrant women experience as they grieve the loss of their culture, social connections and relationships (Alvarez, 1999). A collaborative study conducted by the university of Toronto, and the University of Western Ontario reported that if Canadian society changed to allow equal opportunities to our immigrant population, by 2036 the gross domestic product would be increased by $64.5 billion, bringing the GDP to a total in excess of $1.689 trillion by the year 2036 (Harvey, et al., 2001).

6 Letter of Intent 6 Procedure Through a thorough review of the literature on employment related issues of immigrant women, the most current and relevant information will be extracted; books, magazines, newspapers, and websites will also be consulted. In addition to gathering information through written materials, I plan to conduct focus groups with newly immigrated women. This will first require an ethics review, as I will be including human subjects in my project. In this study the definition of a newly immigrated women will be someone who has been living in Canada for less than three years. My intention is to facilitate two focus groups involving approximately 10 women in each group. As I am currently an employment counsellor with the Calgary Immigrant Women s Association, over the next couple of months I plan to ask every one of my clients who have been in Canada less than three years if they would be willing to take part in my study. In groups, I will ask the immigrant women to discuss only two questions; what forms of employment information would have been beneficial to them before they came to Canada, and if they have any suggestions that could be put on my website that would help make the integration process easier for future immigrant women. The relevant information gathered from each focus group will be combined with previous research to create a user friendly website that immigrant women can easily access as necessary. Key elements of this website will include employment opportunities and potential barriers for immigrant women in Canada, information on foreign credentials, and selfmanagement tips for successful integration into Canada. Additionally, I would like to add

7 Letter of Intent 7 links to other beneficial websites such as English as a second language (ESL) programs, relevant non-profit agencies, and affordable employment and education programs. The final product will be a clear, concise, easy to use website for pre-immigrant women to learn more about the realities of their future Canadian career endeavors and to utilize this valuable information in an effective manner. Potential Implications It is hoped that by accessing this website, pre-immigrant women will have realistic expectations prior to their immigration to Canada. More accurate information will better prepare these women enabling a smoother transition into the Canadian workforce. This in turn will increase successful employment, and decrease poverty levels within this population. Additionally, the women will experience less stress and gain many other mental health benefits. An added benefit is the potential for collaboration between countries with regards to credentials, ESL schools, and work experience. If immigrants can obtain the appropriate requirements before entering the country, not only would it provide the immigrant women with a more pleasurable experience, but also the immense need for funded programs to help immigrant women would be reduced. Finally, with employment ready immigrants, employment counsellors in this area are saved the heartache of being the first to inform them that they will have to return to school for several years, gain Canadian work experience, and further study the English language, before they are able to continue in the profession in which they have been trained.

8 Letter of Intent 8 References Alvarez, M. (1999). The experience of migration: A relational approach in therapy. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 11, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2005). New permanent residences. The Monitor (Fall, 2005). Retrieved January 23, 2005 from Dion, K. K., & Dion, K. L. (2001). Gender and cultural adaptation in immigrant families. Journal of Social Issues, 57, Harvey, E., Reil, K., Siu, B., Blakely, J. & DiTomaso, K. (2001). Socioeconomic situation of immigrants: Variations by immigrant attributes and implications for losses to the Canadian economy. University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario. Hum, D. & Simpson, W. (2000). University of Manitoba. Closing the wage gap: Economic Assimilation of Canadian Immigrants Reconsidered. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 1, Judd, N. (2004). Impact of immigration on careers of professional women. Unpublished master s thesis, Royal Roads University, British Columbia, Canada. Lee, G. & Westwood, M. (1996). Cross-cultural adjustment issues faced by immigrant professionals. Journal of Employment Counseling, 33(1), Neault, R. (2004). Managing global careers: Challenges for the 21 st century. Life Strategies Ltd., Coquitlam, British Columbia.

9 Letter of Intent 9 Reitz, J. (2001). Immigrant success in the knowledge economy: institutional change and the immigrant experience in Canada, Journal of Social Issues, 57(3), Statistics Canada (2005). Longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada. The Daily (October ). Retrieved January 25, 2005 from The Calgary Immigrant Women s Association [CIWA] (2005). Lifting the Bar II. Calgary, AB: Yipps, R. The Edmonton Social Planning Council [ESPC] (2000). Over-qualified, underemployed. Edmonton, AB